My kid was a good fighter. Angelo Dundee
71) Sugar Ray Robinson SD15: US Post-Fight Commentary - Mills Lane - Carmen Basilio - Lou Duva - Bert Randolph Sugar - Angelo Dundee -
v Sugar Ray Robinson I 23rd September 1957 I Yankee Stadium Middleweight Ring Magazine Fight of the Year [r9] ... It almost seems time for an explosion ... Both men are in superb condition. Both men are dishing it out and staying in there ... [r11] ... Neither man has really taken over. Watch closely. Basilio has him on the ropes – thirty seconds left in the round ... [r13] ... Carmen Basilio is taking everything he’s got and hammering back all the way. It’s a tired Robinson Basilio is going after but he’s dead game ... [r14] ... Neither man has scored a knockdown ... Both men are showing their weariness ... [r15] … Here we go for the final round and through it all both Robinson and Basilio have duelled like champions ... There’s the bell and the fight is over. Both Ray Robinson and Carmen Basilio deserve tremendous credit. Each is responsible for one of the truly great fights of our time. [9-5-1 Basilio; 6-9 Robinson; 8-6-1 Basilio] US post-fight commentary
I think that was the greatest fight I have ever seen. Mills Lane
I knew I was getting to him. Carmen Basilio
Basilio could tear your house down. He was a tough tough fighter. Lou Duva
I saw more action in that eleventh round than I see in many fights. Bert Randolph Sugar
The thrill for me was a little guy beating a big guy. Angelo Dundee
72) Sugar Ray Robinson II Lost SD 15: US Fight Commentary TV - Angelo Dundee - Carmen Basilio - Bert Randolph Sugar -
v Sugar Ray Robinson II 25th March 1958 Middleweight Ring Magazine Fight of the Year Chicago [r9] ... Just look at the bulging left eye of Carmen Basilio ... It’s amazing how this smaller man is going after Robinson ... Basilio with one eye is putting up one of the gamest fights of his career ... [r10] ... Round ten and both fighters are giving it all they’ve got ... [r11] ... Robinson keeps stalking his man. What a battle this Carmen Basilio is putting up ... Watch the referee on the break [gets hit] ... [r15] ... Robinson looks at the clock: he is tired too. [71-64 Robinson; 66-69 Basilio; 72-64 Robinson] US fight commentary
It [the eye] was so bad I couldn’t put an ice-pack on it. Angelo Dundee
If you stop this fight, I’ll knock you out. Carmen Basilio to Angelo Dundee
I had you [Basilio] winning that fight. Bert Randolph Sugar
75) Gene Fullmer Lost TKO14: US Fight Commentary TV - Carmen Basilio - Gene Fullmer - Bert Randolph Sugar -
v Gene Fullmer I 28th August 1959 Daly City: [r1] ... Fullmer said he had three plans of attack ... Fullmer scoring very well ... Now it’s Carmen’s turn ... [r8] ... Two good punchers; two former champions ... Oh he staggers Basilio! [r14] ... The fight is over and Gene Fullmer is the champion on a TKO ... His strategy worked. US fight commentary
It was a rough tough fight. We fought head to head. I hadn’t fought in quite a while ... I was approaching the over-the-hill fame ... You got to fight every three or four months. Carmen Basilio, interview Ringside Rivalries
I blame my managers for that. They were so busy betting on horses and the races and all that they didn’t have time to book me for fights. Carmen Basilio
I could have finished the fight. Carmen Basilio
He is the toughest guy I ever fought bar none. Gene Fullmer, post-fight interview
It was one hell of a battle. Bert Randolph Sugar
76) Gene Fullmer II Lost TKO12: Bert Randolph Sugar -
v Fullmer II Middleweight: Again look at this: these are two guys who are just beating the bejabbers out of each other. I mean you want to see fighting, this is fighting. Look, the referee is stepping in; Carmen is less than happy about this. He is about ready to clock the referee. Because I don’t know why they stopped it so prematurely. Bert Randolph Sugar
[8.7] JOSE NAPOLES 88(54)-8-7 [Middleweight & Welterweight]: Boxing News online - British Boxing Heroes: John H Stracey TV -
British fans’ enduring memories of Jose Napoles will be of John H Stracey battering him to a six-round defeat in 1975 in what proved the Mexico-based Cuban’s last fight.
But Napoles had dominated the welterweights for six years, bar a brief spell without the title caused by a cut eye loss, and in 1972 had come to London to dismiss Ralph Charles with contemptuous ease. And rumours had it that he was several years older than his official 35 when Stracey ended his career.
What’s not in doubt is that he was a highly skilled fighter, with a sharp punch in either hand, but especially the left hook. He was also an excellent body puncher.
Hedgemon Lewis, the American twice beaten by Napoles in world title bids, called Jose the best counter-puncher in the world, who would take your head off with a right uppercut or left hook if you threw a wild right yourself.
It was for his smooth combination-punching skills, rather than his power, that Napoles earned the nickname ‘Mantequilla’ from Mexican fans. It means ‘Butterball’, as in ‘smooth as butter’.
Over the next four and a half years Napoles retained 10 times, turning back the challenges of good fighters such as Lewis, Ernie Lopez and Armando Muniz. He did have one scare, against Muniz in March 1975. Armando appeared to be winning when it was ruled that Napoles’ cuts had been caused by the challenger’s head and the champion was declared a technical decision winner in round 12. It may or may not be a coincidence that Mexico was the base of the World Boxing Council, whose title was at stake (Napoles had relinquished the WBA belt).
Whatever, a rematch four months later saw Napoles drop Muniz in the ninth and win clearly on points. It confirmed Jose’s reputation for faring better in rematches. (As well as Backus, Lewis lost only on points first time but was stopped in a return against Napoles, albeit the second fight was at altitude, which Hedgemon said affected him).
In 1972 Napoles came to London and flattened Charles in seven rounds. His first real acceleration ended the Englishman’s challenge.
So complete was Jose’s domination of the welters that in February 1974 he challenged Carlos Monzon for the world middleweight crown. Looking back, it seems a crazy match: Monzon was every bit as outstanding as Napoles, but in a division almost a stone (13lbs exactly) heavier. And Carlos was a massive middleweight, while Napoles was never a big welter (scaled below 10st 5lbs for some defences).
Jose gave 6 3/4lbs and was just too small to do anything with Monzon, who dished out a pasting until the Cuban stayed on his stool at the start of round seven.
Nowadays no one would think less of Napoles for losing such an over-ambitious match, but it affected his standing at the time. A 1977 Boxing News article ranking the all-time best welters had Jose at No. 7 and admitted that he might have been as high as the top three if not for the stoppages by Monzon and Stracey.
‘Jose was not the most rugged of fighters when things were going against him’, it rather cruelly declared. ‘Napoles would seem a little deficient in the absolute courage under adversity that is required of an all-time great champion’.
But Monzon was simply too big and Stracey got him at the right time, when Napoles was at the end of the road. He’d been a pro since 1958, had boxed 17 welter title fights, and never laced on a glove in anger again.
In retirement he fell on hard times and by the 1990s was reportedly a ‘Mr Bojangles’ figure, dancing for change in Mexican restaurants. A sad fate for a champion who bossed a division for more than half a decade. Boxing News online article 6 December 1985 Lou Eisen
v Billy Backus II 4 June 1971 WBA WBC Welterweight Inglewood [r1] … Backus two good left hooks … good shots of Napoles … right hand really stung Backus … [r2] … Nothing wrong with Billy Backus’ chin … Toe to toe … Backus is now cut … All out action … [r3] … Right hand [Napoles] … Left hand by Backus … Right hand [Napoles] … again … [r4] … Straight right hand by Napoles … another right hand … again … left and right … [r5] … Great body shots [Backus] … Napoles very cool … right hand … good right-left combination … [r6] … Left hook [Napoles] … right hand … [r7] … Good right hand [Backus] … Right hand by Napoles … solid punches … [r8] … Napoles connecting with a left and right … Backus is down … left and right: Backus is down … It’s all over. US fight commentary
v Ralph Charles 28 March 1972 WBA WBC Welterweight Wembley [r1] … One of the greatest champions in recent years … Very quiet … [r2] … Right hand caught Charles … three good punches … [r3] … Right from Charles … Napoles coming forward … [r4] … Here comes the [Napoles] attack … [r5] … Napoles hustling … still at half pace … these combination punches … [r6] … Napoles comes right back at him … Napoles turning it on … Good right hand shot by Charles … [r7] … Napoles felt that … Sweeping right hand [Napoles] … Charles’s legs went splayed … big right hand from Napoles … cluster punches … and Charles is over … and he’s out. UK fight commentary Harry Carpenter